2021 Oscar Results

 

I know this post is coming much later than usual, but I've had a very busy week and putting together a post like this is quite time-consuming, believe it or not... Anyways, I offer my sincerest apologies for not sharing this in a timely fashion. It's almost been a week since the Oscars ceremony, but I'd much rather share my thoughts now than never. 

Though I saw all the Best Picture nominees beforehand, I unfortunately haven't shared reviews for all of them just yet. I'm dedicating this weekend toward catching up on Film Assessment. Once I'm caught up on my reviews, I'll finally share a list of my Top 10 films released in 2020. That said, there were plenty of great films released last year regardless of the theater closures. I'll get to my grievances with the telecast momentarily, but the Academy did a great job recognizing the artists responsible. The ceremony went hostess once more, and I think that's proving to be a positive change. This year's telecast was promoted to feel like a movie, and honestly I'm not so sure it did.

Aside from the aspect ratio and opening monologue, it rarely felt cinematic. More or less, this Oscars was a traditional awards ceremony with a few notable changes. I liked the change of scenery from the Dolby Theater to Union Station to better allow for social distancing. I also appreciated that the winners were allowed to speak as long as they'd like and were never played off. The vibe of the evening felt more relaxed and laidback compared to the usual event. Changes that I was not a fan of were the absence of clips showcasing the work being recognized. The "In Memorium" was notably rushed so you could hardly read the names onscreen. Not to mention the upbeat song which accompanied it. Lastly, there was the anticlimactic finale which I'll address below... It was a train wreck of epic proportions.

As for the awards themselves, I'm going to list out the nominees, my predictions, what I was rooting for, and the actual winner with additional commentary for the major categories. I'll also include some images and videos of my favorite moments from the night where appropriate, so this is basically a cliff-notes for the Oscars if you didn't tune in. For the most part, things played out as expected, and I even correctly predicted 14 winners of the total 23 categories. 

2021 Oscar Results  

Best Picture

"The Father"

"Judas and the Black Messiah"

"Mank"

"Minari"

"Nomadland"

"Promising Young Woman"

"Sound of Metal"

"The Trial of the Chicago 7"

Predicted Winner: "Nomadland"
My Choice: "The Father," "Promising Young Woman," or "Minari" (All deserving)
Actual winner: "Nomadland"

I'm sure that the producers had good intentions by rearranging the order of categories that were announced. It certainly changed things up, but not for the better... Best Picture and Best Director, usually reserved for the very end of the ceremony, were announced much earlier. I felt this robbed the winners of their moment in the spotlight, considering they were overshadowed by what followed... Yes, it was worse than the Moonlight/La La Land mix-up.

And no, I don't mean Nomadland winning... (see Best Actor for more clarity)

Best Director

Emerald Fennell, "Promising Young Woman"

David Fincher, "Mank"

Lee Isaac Chung, "Minari"

Thomas Vinterberg, "Another Round"

Chloé Zhao, "Nomadland"

Predicted Winner: Chloé Zhao, "Nomadland"
My Choice: All deserving
Actual winner: Chloé Zhao, "Nomadland"

Zhao's win may have been predictable, but it was also ground-breaking. She's the second woman to ever win this Oscar and the first Asian woman to ever win in the category. She also gave a very nice speech, which I'll embed below.

Best Actor

Riz Ahmed, "Sound of Metal"

Chadwick Boseman, "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"

Anthony Hopkins, "The Father"

Gary Oldman, "Mank"

Steven Yeun, "Minari"

Predicted Winner: Chadwick Boseman, "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"
My Choice: Riz Ahmed, "Sound of Metal," Chadwick Boseman, "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," and Anthony Hopkins, "The Father"
Actual winner: Anthony Hopkins, "The Father"

Best Actor and Actress were saved for last, and the reasoning was very apparent. The producers had hoped that Chadwick Boseman would win Best Actor and the night would end with a fitting tribute for him. However, Anthony Hopkins upset in that category. That wasn't the issue though... The issue was that Anthony Hopkins wasn't in attendance, nor was he allowed to Zoom in... The night ended with Joaquin Phoenix awkwardly saying that the Academy would accept the award on Hopkins' behalf, so there was no speech to close out the night. 

Hopkins is 83 years old, now the oldest actor to win an Academy Award. Naturally, he wasn't interested in traveling to attend amidst a pandemic, so it's strange to hear his request to attend via Zoom was turned down. Supposedly, his co-star Olivia Colman was also going to accept the Oscar for him, but that didn't happen for unspecified reasons. Hopkins' victory was well-deserved, but awkward and very anti-climactic given the circumstances, which is such a shame. 

Best Actress

Viola Davis, "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"

Andra Day, "The United States vs. Billie Holiday"

Vanessa Kirby, "Pieces of a Woman"

Frances McDormand, "Nomadland"

Carey Mulligan, "Promising Young Woman"

Predicted Winner: Carey Mulligan, "Promising Young Woman"
My Choice: Carey Mulligan, "Promising Young Woman"
Actual winner: Frances McDormand, "Nomadland"

Frances McDormand gave a very short speech for her third acting Oscar (she also won her fourth Academy Award that evening for Best Picture since she produced Nomadland). Though she gave a great performance, I personally would have chosen any of the other four actresses... Especially since McDormand has already won two acting Oscars.

Best Supporting Actor

Sacha Baron Cohen, "The Trial of the Chicago 7"
Daniel Kaluuya, "Judas and the Black Messiah"

Leslie Odom Jr., "One Night in Miami"

Paul Raci, "Sound of Metal"

LaKeith Stanfield, "Judas and the Black Messiah"

Predicted Winner: Daniel Kaluuya, "Judas and the Black Messiah"
My Choice: Daniel Kaluuya, "Judas and the Black Messiah" or Paul Raci, "Sound of Metal"
Actual winner: Daniel Kaluuya, "Judas and the Black Messiah"

I am so ecstatic about this win. Daniel Kaluuya has proven himself to be a very versatile actor on the rise, so I'm glad to see him recognized for just that. He also had one or two amusing moments in his speech, so I think it's worth watching.

Best Supporting Actress

Maria Bakalova, "Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm"

Glenn Close, "Hillbilly Elegy"

Olivia Colman, "The Father"

Amanda Seyfried, "Mank"

Youn Yuh-Jung, "Minari"

Predicted Winner: Youn Yuh-Jung, "Minari"
My Choice: Maria Bakalova, "Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm," or Youn Yuh-Jung, "Minari"
Actual winner: Youn Yuh-Jung, "Minari"

Another win that I was happy to see. Youn Yuh-Jung became the first Korean actress to win an Oscar.

Best Original Screenplay

"Judas and the Black Messiah"

"Minari"

"Promising Young Woman"

"Sound of Metal"

"The Trial of the Chicago 7"

Predicted Winner: "Promising Young Woman"
My Choice: "Promising Young Woman"
Actual winner: "Promising Young Woman"

I adored Promising Young Woman, so naturally, I was excited to see it win here. 

Best Adapted Screenplay

"Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm"

"The Father"

"Nomadland"

"One Night in Miami"

"The White Tiger"

Predicted Winner: "Nomadland"
My Choice: "The Father"
Actual winner: "The Father"

Again, I was excited to see The Father get the recognition it truly deserves. It is without a doubt one of the best stage-to-screen adaptations I have ever seen. I highly recommend you give it a chance.

Best Film Editing

"The Father"

"Nomadland"

"Promising Young Woman"

"Sound of Metal"

"The Trial of the Chicago 7"

Predicted Winner: "Trial of the Chicago 7"
My Choice: "The Father" or "Sound of Metal"
Actual winner: "Sound of Metal"

Another great win for a great film. You can currently stream Sound of Metal on Prime Video, so get to it!

Best Cinematography

"Judas and the Black Messiah"

"Mank"

"News of the World"

"Nomadland"

"The Trial of the Chicago 7"

Predicted Winner: "Nomadland"
My Choice: "Nomadland"
Actual winner: "Mank"

Another upset from the ceremony that's well deserved in my book. 

Best Costume Design

"Emma"

"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"

"Mank"

"Mulan"

"Pinocchio"

Predicted Winner: "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"
My Choice: "Emma" or "Mank"
Actual winner: "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"

Not my personal choice, but this film does have some showy costumes. Again, costume designer Ann Roth wasn't in attendance or allowed to Zoom in, so they awkwardly brushed over this category.

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

"Emma"

"Hillbilly Elegy"

"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"

"Mank"

"Pinocchio"

Predicted Winner: "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"
My Choice: "Pinocchio"
Actual winner: "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"

Not a surprise in the slightest. 

Best Production Design

"The Father"

"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"

"Mank"

"News of the World"

"Tenet"

Predicted Winner: "Mank"
My Choice: "The Father" or "Tenet"
Actual winner: "Mank"

My choices skewed non-traditional, but Mank is deserving in my book. 

Best Visual Effects

"Love and Monsters"

"The Midnight Sky"

"Mulan"

"The One and Only Ivan"

"Tenet"

Predicted Winner: "The Midnight Sky"
My Choice: "Tenet"
Actual winner: "Tenet"

I am over the moon to see Tenet walk away from the ceremony with at least one Oscar.

Best Sound

"Greyhound"

"Mank"

"News of the World"

"Soul"

"Sound of Metal"

Predicted Winner: "Sound of Metal"
My Choice: "Sound of Metal"
Actual winner: "Sound of Metal"

Of course, the film with the word "sound" in the title wins Best Sound. 

Best Original Song

"Fight For You" from "Judas and the Black Messiah"

"Hear My Voice" from "The Trial of the Chicago 7"

"Húsavík" from "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga"

"Io Si (Seen)" from "The Life Ahead"

"Speak Now" from "One Night in Miami"

Predicted Winner: "Io Is (Seen)" from "The Life Ahead"
My Choice:  "Speak Now" from "One Night in Miami "
Actual winner: "Fight For You" from "Judas and the Black Messiah"

A fairly generic pop song in my opinion, but whatever... 

Best Original Score

"Da 5 Bloods"

"Mank"

"Minari"

"News of the World"

"Soul"

Predicted Winner: "Soul"
My Choice: "Da 5 Bloods," "Minari," or "Soul"
Actual winner: "Soul"

Cool to see Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross scoop up a second Oscar for this category and even lose to themselves (since they were also nominated for Mank). Even better for Jon Batiste to scoop up his first, and I liked that Reznor and Ross let him speak for the entire duration of the speech. I haven't stopped listening to Soul's score since seeing it, so once again, I'm happy!

Best Animated Feature

"Onward"

"Over The Moon"

"A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon" 

"Soul"

"Wolfwalkers"

Predicted Winner: "Soul"

My Choice: "Soul" or "Wolfwalkers"

Actual winner: "Soul"

Disney and Pixar almost always emerge triumphant here. I loved Soul, so I'm happy, but Wolfwalkers is just as deserving in my mind. I wish that Kemp Powers could have gone up to accept the award alongside Pete Docter and Dana Murray since he co-directed with them, but the stipulations for the nominees in this particular category are strange. 

Best International Feature Film

"Another Round"

"Better Days"

"Collective"

"The Man Who Sold His Skin"

"Quo Vadis, Aida?"

Predicted Winner: "Another Round"

My Choice: "Another Round"

Actual winner: "Another Round"

This was hands-down my favorite victory and speech of the night. Another Round is admittedly the only nominee I saw in this category, but this film is special. I wish the filmmaker responsible for the film actually won in this category, but the Academy's stipulations for awarding the country of origin are cemented for some reason. Anyways, I'm glad Thomas Vinterberg was able to accept the Oscar. He was so genuine and it was heartbreaking to hear him discuss the circumstances of this production... Vinterberg experienced an unfathomable tragedy four days into shooting the film when his daughter Ida was killed in a car accident. But the way he is so appreciative of the cast, crew, studio, and his family for supported him amidst this terrible hardship and dedication of the award to Ida genuinely brought tears to my eye. If you're interested in seeing Another Round, it's currently streaming on Hulu and I cannot recommend it enough.

Best Documentary Feature

"Collective"

"Crip Camp"

"The Mole Agent"

"My Octopus Teacher"

"Time"

Predicted Winner: "My Octopus Teacher"

Actual winner: "My Octopus Teacher"

I haven't seen any of the films nominated from this point on, so I don't really have any additional commentary. 

Best Documentary, Short Subject

"Collette"
"A Concerto is a Conversation"
"Do Not Split"
"Hunger Ward"
"A Love Song for Latasha"

Predicted Winner: "A Love Song for Latasha"

Actual winner: "Collette"

Best Short Film, Live Action

"Feeling Through"

"The Letter Room"

"The Present"

"Two Distant Strangers"

"White Eye"

Predicted Winner: "Two Distant Strangers"

Actual winner: "Two Distant Strangers"

Best Short Film, Animated

"Burrow"

"Genius Loci"

"If Anything Happens I Love You"

"Opera"

"Yes People"

Predicted Winner: "Burrow"

Actual winner: "If Anything Happens I Love You"

2020 Oscar Results

In the blink of an eye, another awards season's come and gone. This year's season was an abbreviated one, and I think that the shorter timeframe worked out nicely. Especially considering it resulted in some surprise major victories I'll touch on momentarily. So what'd I think? I was delighted with last night's Oscars. While I may not have personally agreed with every single winner, I felt every winner was still a deserving choice. Also, I think I really prefer the hostless Oscars. The ceremonies from the past two years have run smoothly without one, so I say keep it up!

As for the awards themselves, I'm going to list out the nominees, my predictions, what I was rooting for, and the actual winner with additional commentary for the major categories. I'll also include some images and videos of my favorite moments from the night where appropriate, so this is basically a cliff-notes for the Oscars if you didn't tune in. For the most part, things played out as expected, and I even correctly predicted 18 winners of the total 24 categories. 

2020 Oscar Results  

 

Best Picture

"1917"
"Ford v Ferrari"
"The Irishman"
"Jojo Rabbit"
"Joker"
"Little Women"
"Marriage Story"
"Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood"
"Parasite"

Predicted Winner: "1917"
My Choice: "Marriage Story," "Parasite," or "1917" 

Actual winner: "Parasite"

Man, oh man, was I happy when Jane Fonda said Parasite. This is a historic win that will introduce so many people to a phenomenal foreign film. I'm hoping this encourages audiences to watch more international films and helps eliminate the stigma surrounding them. So what makes this win so special? Parasite is the first foreign language film to win Best Picture. The Oscar ceremony is intended to recognize the best of cinema but has only ever awarded English-language productions with its greatest distinction. Roma came very close to this historic win but didn't quite get there. Parasite broke the barrier because it was a universally acclaimed film. I've seriously yet to encounter anyone who's watched the film and genuinely disliked it. Therefore, it ranked well on Academy voter's preferential ballots and won the big prize. 

Best Director

Bong Joon-Ho, "Parasite"
Martin Scorsese, "The Irishman"
Quentin Tarantino, "Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood"
Sam Mendes, "1917"
Todd Phillips, "Joker"

Predicted Winner: Sam Mendes, "1917"
My Choice: Bong Joon-Ho, "Parasite"

Actual winner: Bong Joon-Ho, "Parasite"

This was, without a doubt, the biggest surprise of the night. Sam Mendes seemed like a lock for 1917 because it was the "showier direction," and he'd won all the precursors, but the passion for Parasite pushed Bong to a Best Director win. Bong's been an absolute joy to follow this awards season, and Parasite's such a terrific movie that I'm ecstatic to see him recognized for directing as well as writing and producing. This lead to my favorite moment of the night when Bong acknowledged his fellow nominees. It was especially cool to see him shout out Scorsese, one of his biggest influences, and Tarantino, who’s always championed his work. You can watch his acceptance speech below!

Best Actor

Adam Driver, "Marriage Story"
Antonio Banderas, "Pain and Glory"
Joaquin Phoenix, "Joker"
Jonathan Pryce, "The Two Popes"
Leonardo DiCaprio, "Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood"

Predicted Winner: Joaquin Phoenix, "Joker"
My Choice: Adam Driver, "Marriage Story"

Actual winner: Joaquin Phoenix, "Joker"

Everyone foresaw this, but I'm still glad Phoenix finally won an Oscar. I may not have been personally rooting for him, but his performance was unreal. It was also very sweet when he honored his late brother, River Phoenix.

Best Actress

Charlize Theron, "Bombshell"
Cynthia Erivo, "Harriet"
Renée Zellweger, "Judy"
Saoirse Ronan, "Little Women"
Scarlett Johansson, "Marriage Story"

Predicted Winner: Renée Zellweger, "Judy"
My Choice: Saoirse Ronan, "Little Women" or Scarlett Johansson, "Marriage Story"

Actual winner: Renée Zellweger, "Judy"

A commonality in the acting categories is that they were very predictable this year. Zellweger received her second Oscar and then rambled for what felt like forever in her speech. She gave a good performance in an adequate biopic.

Best Supporting Actor

Al Pacino, "The Irishman"
Anthony Hopkins, "The Two Popes"
Brad Pitt, "Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood"
Joe Pesci, "The Irishman"
Tom Hanks, "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood"

Predicted Winner: Brad Pitt, "Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood"
My Choice: Brad Pitt "Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood" or Joe Pesci, "The Irishman"

Actual winner: Brad Pitt, "Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood"

Supporting performances in Tarantino's films tend to garner plenty of recognition, and this was no different. A well-deserved win. I liked that Pitt used his speech to acknowledge that the Academy should recognize stunt work considering he played a stunt man. Here's hoping they take note and add the category soon because it's long overdue!

Best Supporting Actress

Florence Pugh, "Little Women"
Kathy Bates, "Richard Jewell"
Laura Dern, "Marriage Story"
Margot Robbie, "Bombshell"
Scarlett Johansson, "Jojo Rabbit"

Predicted Winner: Laura Dern, "Marriage Story"
My Choice: Margot Robbie, "Bombshell," or Scarlett Johansson, "Jojo Rabbit"

Actual winner: Laura Dern, "Marriage Story"

Not the performance from Marriage Story I personally would award, but a solid one from Dern regardless.

Best Original Screenplay

"1917"
"Knives Out"
"Marriage Story"
"Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood"
"Parasite"

Predicted Winner:  "Parasite"
My Choice: "Marriage Story"

Actual winner: "Parasite"

The standing ovation for Bong here clued me into the possibility it might win Best Picture because that also happened at the SAG Awards where the film won Best Ensemble Cast. Even then, I remained skeptical it would prevail and seriously doubted the possibility of a Best Director upset. Again, I was excited to see another win for Parasite.

Standing ovation for Parasite 👀 remember last time that happened?

— David Weiser (@weiser_david) February 10, 2020

Best Adapted Screenplay

"The Irishman"
"Jojo Rabbit"
"Joker"
"Little Women"
"The Two Popes"

Predicted Winner: "Jojo Rabbit"
My Choice: "The Irishman"

Actual winner: "Jojo Rabbit"

Academy Award winner Taika Waititi has a nice ring to it. I loved Jojo Rabbit, so naturally, I'm happy about this.

#JojoRabbit's Archie Yates cheers Taika Waititi at the #Oscars pic.twitter.com/ow9gbYj2QB

— Variety (@Variety) February 10, 2020

Best Film Editing

"Ford v Ferrari"
"The Irishman"

"Jojo Rabbit"

"Joker"

"Parasite"

Predicted Winner: "Ford v Ferrari"
My Choice: "Ford v Ferrari" or "Parasite"

Actual winner: "Ford v Ferrari"

While well-deserved, I became worried about Parasite's Best Picture chances when it was announced. However, it turns out the Academy just wanted to spread the love. Every Best Picture nominee, except The Irishman, won at least one Oscar. It's still a bummer that it was tied for the second most nominations at 10 and walked away with nothing.

Best Cinematography

"1917"
"The Irishman"
"Joker"
"The Lighthouse"
"Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood"

Predicted Winner: "1917"
My Choice: "1917"

Actual winner: "1917"

It was awesome to see Roger Deakins secure his second Oscar. He's one of the greatest working cinematographers, and his work in 1917 is the lynchpin of the entire production, so this seemed like a no brainer.

Best Costume Design

"The Irishman"
"Jojo Rabbit"
"Joker"
"Little Women"
"Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood"

Predicted Winner: "Little Women"
My Choice: "Little Women" or "Jojo Rabbit"

Actual winner: "Little Women"

Well, I'm glad that Little Women won something.

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

"1917"
"Bombshell"
"Joker"
"Judy"
"Maleficent: Mistress of Evil"

Predicted Winner: "Bombshell"
My Choice: "Bombshell"

Actual winner: "Bombshell"

I'll reiterate my Vice commentary. Water is wet. I did not picture this playing out any differently.

Best Production Design

"1917"
"The Irishman"
"Jojo Rabbit"
"Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood"
"Parasite"

Predicted Winner: "1917"
My Choice: "1917"

Actual winner: "Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood"

I figured 1917 would sweep the tech categories, but I probably overestimated the Academy's appreciation for it. Considering Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood's remarkable recreations of 1969 Los Angeles, I'm content with this.

Best Visual Effects

"1917"
"Avengers: Endgame"
"The Irishman"
"The Lion King"
"Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker"

Predicted Winner: "1917"
My Choice: "1917," "The Irishman," or "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker"

Actual winner: "1917"

This makes total sense considering 1917's effects were the least noticeable.

Best Sound Editing

"1917"
"Ford v Ferrari"
"Joker"
"Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood"
"Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker"

Predicted Winner: "1917"
My Choice: "1917" or "Ford v Ferrari"

Actual winner: "Ford v Ferrari"

Vroom vroom.

Best Sound Mixing

"1917"
"Ad Astra"
"Ford v Ferrari"
"Joker"
"Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood"

Predicted Winner: "1917"
My Choice: "Ford v Ferrari"

Actual winner: "1917"

I figured Sound Editing and Sound Mixing would go to the same film, but there was a split here, so that took me by surprise. This category was one of my first missed predictions of the night.

Best Original Song

"I Can't Let You Throw Yourself Away" from "Toy Story 4"
"(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" from "Rocketman"
"I'm Standing With You" from "Breakthrough"
"Into The Unknown" from "Frozen II"
"Stand Up" from "Harriet"

Predicted Winner: "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" from "Rocketman"
My Choice: "Into The Unknown" from "Frozen II"

Actual winner: "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" from "Rocketman"

It was nice to see Rocketman win something since it was snubbed in the other categories. 

Best Original Score

"1917"
"Joker"
"Little Women"
"Marriage Story"
"Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker"

Predicted Winner: "Joker"
My Choice: I honestly couldn't choose a favorite between these

Actual winner: "Joker"

This was another historic win for the night as Hildur Guðnadóttir is the first solo female composer to win the Oscar for Best Original Score. And as you can see in the video below, the auditorium took note of that via a standing ovation. She's such a gifted musician, she gave a beautiful speech, and I can't wait to hear what she composes next!

Best Animated Feature

"How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World"
"I Lost My Body"
"Klaus"
"Missing Link"
"Toy Story 4"

Predicted Winner: "Klaus"

My Choice: "How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World"

Actual winner: "Toy Story 4"

Pixar strikes yet again. I thought the Academy was fed up with Disney, so I bet against them, but I was wrong. Against all the odds, Toy Story 4 managed to be a worthwhile continuation of the franchise, and it was justly rewarded. Though, it's a shame the How To Train Your Dragon trilogy went Oscarless like the recent Planet of the Apes trilogy.

Best International Feature Film

"Corpus Christi"
"Honeyland"
"Les Misérables"
"Pain and Glory"
"Parasite"

Predicted Winner: "Parasite"

My Choice: "Parasite"

Actual winner: "Parasite"

I wish I'd seen more of the others aside from Pain and Glory, but I was happy to see Parasite win here.

Best Documentary Feature

"American Factory"
"The Cave"
"The Edge of Democracy"
"For Sama"
"Honeyland"

Predicted Winner: "For Sama"

Actual winner: "American Factory"

Best Documentary, Short Subject

"In The Absence"
"Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're A Girl)"
"Life Overtakes Me"
"St. Louis Superman"
"Walk Run Cha-Cha"

Predicted Winner: "Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're A Girl)"

Actual winner: "Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're A Girl)"

Best Short Film, Live Action

"Brotherhood"
"Nefta Football Club"
"The Neighbors' Window"
"Saria"
"A Sister"

Predicted Winner: "The Neighbors' Window"

My Choice: "The Neighbors' Window"
Actual winner: "The Neighbors' Window"

For the first time, I watched two of the live-action shorts before the ceremony. It just so happened that my favorite one of those two won. I'll embed the YouTube video below if you want to check it out!

Best Short Film, Animated

"Dcera (Daughter)"

"Hair Love"

"Kitbull"

"Memorable"

"Sister"

Predicted Winner: "Hair Love"

My Choice: "Hair Love"
Actual winner: "Hair Love"

Similarly, I crammed all five of the Best Animated Short films the night before the ceremony for the first time. Hair Love also happened to be my favorite one of those I watched. I'll embed that below for those who want to view it.